What Iād say to my Gen Z friend
When I was younger I had a little sense of what they callĀ āsensitivityā
Baka dahil sa sobrang sheltered ko or dahil yung nagpalaki sakin sheltered din kaya nagrerevolve yung mundo ko sa sarili ko. But then I got older, learned a few things here and there and Iād like to think I matured somehow but Iām still sheltered. Literally.
Because Iām broke I had no choice but to stay with the parent. But given my situation, I know whatās happening around me. Iām not naive. With me getting into painting two and a half years ago I learned how to observe and look at the details. Di ko alam kung may adhd ako or slow or abnormal pero alam ko Iāve had trouble knowing things because Iām easily distracted. One time sa isang Holy Mass while the priest was delivering his homily I remember controlling myself not to yawn - keeping my thoughts busy just to avoid falling asleep. My thoughts would always went out to cute couples that should be together like Lala and Tinkywinky having date nights in Malibu. Random sht like that. Then one Sunday, at a mass I finally asked myself what the fuck can I learn from a Homily...so I paid attention to the priest and finally learned how to listen.Ā
Fast forward to college and itās also like that. I have had troubles focusing at one thing for a long time. Iāve pushed suffering back and refused to grow and I realized how idle time was a bad influence to me more than watching a kdrama.Ā
Maybe Iām having trouble focusing because I donāt want to face my problem ahead and want to run away from it.
Then I went in to the corporate world thinking itās the answer to my problems but it turned out it was also an escape.Ā
I just kept running. I didnāt know what direction to take. Every other option seems to be better.Ā
When I quit my job and decided to have a total reset, I found my calling again in the arts. Itās the one thing that can keep by head at peace. It taught me a lot of things that my younger self wouldnāt understand. I learned if I listened hard enough, itād stir me to where I should be going and it would remind me of who I am.
When I watch my old self from my present perspective I see a carefree girl who takes advantage of things that she should be more thankful about.
And when I take that experience into mind when watching other younger people do it, I feel frustrated.Ā
Young people nowadays are scary in a sense that they lack empathy. They think theyāre connected but when you ask them about their life, theyāll give you answers based on whatās trending on tiktok. The Gen Z in my life feels so out of reach than I could ever be in my selfish days.
She thinks sheās smart but sheās only 23. She doesnāt even say thank you or say sorry when sheās clearly at fault.
I hope she realizes real life doesnāt involve notifications and likes. That being cocooned in her shelter she calls the social media will ultimately be her destruction.
